BALANCING LIFE'S PRIORITIES 

(In this article, discover the importance of balancing life's priorities and find strategies to help you find balance in work, relationships, personal growth and well-being.)

In my childhood, when I started learning to ride bicycle, I realized the importance of balancing. And funny thing is that when I started to ride the bicycle independently, I found it very easy and smooth process and therefore quite exciting also.  In fact I could do so many things simultaneously along, like looking in all possible directions, humming some favorite songs, whistling, trying different speed levels, riding the bicycle single handedly or handsfree, riding the bicycle in slow and some times almost in a standstill position.  It was really adventurous.

But as  we grow up, we have so many realizations regarding living. This we learn at different ages. And one of most important is realization of  how challenging it is to balance the life.  

And this balancing act is related to balancing various priorities of life. This included discharging of various responsibilities in work, family, health, personal growth, health, relations, social connect, career and what not. 

And further, an effective balancing of the priorities in life rewards us the coveted sense of fulfillment and well-being. 

 BALANCING LIFE'S PRIORITIES 

image courtesy : pixabay.com

While reaching my superannuation age, I was working in a highly stressed work environment surrounded by colleagues who struggled to manage their workload.  Maintaining their mental and physical health seemed to be a great challenge for them.  In the midst of all this chaos, I noticed two individuals who stood out from the crowd : my immediate boss and my junior.

Though I prefer to maintain professional relations, I always seized the opportunities to learn some thing helpful for me, without crossing the line. For this I used to take liberty of closely observing my boss.

My boss - he was a shining example of the one who has mastered the art of balancing the priorities in life. He exuded the confidence and calmness, tackling every situation with ease and effortlessly juggling the demands of work and personal life. What was his secret? He had aligned his action with his personal values and was reaping the rewards of a successful and fulfilling live.

Having set priorities in life, his plus points I observed were -

    -very strong ability to focus

    -improving time management

    -reduced anxiety and stress level. In fact I always found him fresh.

    -sense of fulfillment. He always appeared a happy man.

    -he had very good relations with all. He must be a happy family man.

    -he had a healthy record. No major illness.

    -sound financial status. In fact, he never mentioned about loans.

     -he could get inspired by small small things very easily. And so also motivated.

    -he had high level of time management skill.

    -at 50 plus age also he exhibited admirable work efficiency.

    -he was well known as the best decision maker in our organization.

    -every one admired and also envied his overall life status.

BALANCING LIFE'S PRIORITIES

My junior : on the other hand, my junior was in total mess. He is constantly in a stage of panic, rushing from one task to the next, making careless mistakes that were costing the organization the precious time and revenue. Though I never discussed personal matters with him, once he confided in me that he felt overwhelmed and stressed out. And that his health is suffering as a result. And he is always in heated arguments with his spouse.

My observations about him in general, were -

    -overwhelmed. Hence always struggling to manage his work.

    -high level of anxiety and stress on mind.

    -unfulfilled and always disconnected with his purposes in life.

    -he missed so many opportunities in work and life, leading to getting frustrated.

    -his decreasing work efficiency.

    -he was always under financial stress.

    -strained relations with colleagues. He once complained about his spouse.

    -precarious health conditions.

    -I  found him burnout leading to decreased motivation, creativity and wellbeing.

    -load of regrets in life.

And myself -as I observed these two individuals at two different levels, I learnt that the key to a happy, successful and fulfilling life is balancing priorities in life. By setting up goals based on our personal values and accepted social norms, we can achieve our set goals while at the same time ensuring our physical and emotional well-being.

I also learnt that our own power of discretion plays important role, if only we listen to it. This power of discretion guides us in relation to our personal life values and goals. We can understand the conflicts in life - good and bad -right and wrong- moral and immoral- legal and illegal- truth and untruth and so on. And thus, our power of discretion directs us to make the right choice. And most importantly, we have ability to accept the consequences of our choices made. This strengthens our confidence to set our priorities in life.

For setting up our priorities in life -

        -we must identify our life values

         -prepare a list of our goals

        -decide priorities of our goals, based on our values, determining order of   importance.

         -be realistic. If not, we will have to face disappointment.

          -reassessment of the priorities from is essential to realign with life situations.

        -practicing self-care to maintain essential good physical and mental health.

        -seeking help of the near and dear ones and professional counselors.

We must be aware of how to set the goals and achieve them. This setting up of the goals in life is essential otherwise our life will be precarious causing great suffering for us as well as our near and dear ones.

Efficient time management helps us reining in all the aspects in life. With the help of our power of discretion we can set the priorities avoiding waste of our precious time and energy.

BALANCING LIFE'S PRIORITIES

In short, the wisdom learnt is - balance is the key to success in life and those who master it will succeed in every aspect of their lives.

Practicing this wisdom in life has proven a great step for me to achieve fulfillment in life.

By sharing this knowledge with my dear readers, they will surely be able to overcome their struggle and achieve the same sense of fulfillment that I have achieved.

And failure to do so, we are likely to suffer from stress, isolation, frustration, depression and thus inevitably we will lead a miserable life.

Dear readers, your comments are requested to enable me to gauge the helpfulness of this article.

Next time .......

Embrace The Inner Child: To Achieve Fulfillment In Life

Sharing the secrets of a child's effervescent energy and learning how to embrace our inner child. Ageing and longevity -Tips for maintaining a healthy life and unlimited energy, including healthy habits, physical activity, and positive relationships.

Dear readers,

After a long period of time, owing to covid-19 and further being engaged in upbringing of my first grandson, I have resumed my creative activities, especially blog writing.

I have been engaging myself in upbringing of my grandson who will be three years old in March 2023. I do observe him and myself, the attitude and reactions of both of us in our daily life.

And I thought it is better to share my learning therefrom with my avid readers.

During the covid pandemic period, one night I forgot to take my scheduled medications. I got up. At the same time, my grandson came and stood outside the glass partition and then expressing his effervescent energy, started jumping and dancing insisting to join him to play with him. It was almost 1.00 a.m. I felt tremendous envy of his effervescent energy level.

Children with effervescent energy

Image source :  pixabay.com

The first and the foremost thing that I noticed was the level of energy in such a young developing child, hardly two years old. I thought why I should also not have that level of energy. This was of course mindfulness and positive thinking on my part. And this inspired me to experience that kind of happiness of a developing child. This was one of the secrets of happiness for me. I thought I must find the ways to achieve the same.

Generally I knew the children for their effervescent energy, ability to bounce back from the setbacks and adoptability to the circumstances, and enjoying the present. I always felt envious of their positive attitude, the energy level, the strong reserves of energy and its tireless application for feeling and expressing nothing but happiness. And this feeling got stronger as I started my struggle to achieve healthy old age.

Such energetic children really inspired and give me boost of confidence that even I can cultivate the same effervescent energy level and vitality like them. So that I can work hard to achieve set goals in life. In fact, this is one of the secrets of working hard without getting tired.

For what?

Ageing and longevity, nothing else.

So that I also will become full of energy and prepare to enjoy each day with excitement and discover, express and share happiness in life which of course leads to fulfillment in life. This will also enable me to enjoy their enthusiasm and energy while participating in their various activities.

And if you decide, you also will become full of energy like a child and enjoy each and every day with excitement and happiness leading to fulfillment in life.

Embrace The Inner Child: To Achieve Fulfillment In Life

Here I will give some examples demonstrative of expression of the effervescent energy of my grandson.

While enjoying playing football, he used to play for more than an hour. Of course, this was not full-fledged football game. But the way he enjoyed kicking the ball high up in the air really demanded lot of energy and enthusiasm on his part. And then trying to kick back the ball towards me, and I having missed it(deliberately), pumping his hands in the air in celebration, certainly needed highest level of energy.

While enjoying morning walk, holding my hand, he would ask me also to run along with him. After having run a few distance, he would walk for a few minutes and then again pulling my hand start start running. And by this time, thanks to my age, I used to get tired.

He liked the activity of jumping, crawling and climbing over the hurdles in our hall which was very exciting for him. Some times he prepared additional hurdles for him, without bothering about the risks involved. Because of this, I had to be on alert. This often resulted in that feeling of exhausting which I hated.

On YouTube, he preferred certain songs and enjoyed dancing along the music for almost an hour. And that too, never showing any trace of tiredness. And this too even in the late midnight hours.

Some times, he used to enact the role of a doctor, or his mother preparing food items and serving all the family members, cautioning us that the dish being served is very hot and even scolding us when asked for more.

Even now every day I see him wake up in the morning full of energy. In contrast, I myself have to struggle to get out bed when I wake up.

Now, we have enrolled him in playgroup center. Their teacher often reports us how active, enthusiastic, playful and energetic these children are all through the period whereas he himself some times feels exhausted.

His father, my elder son, often recounts how he gets extra boost of energy from his son despite having had less hours of sleep the night before.

In a way, the energy level of my grandson seems to be spreading to both of my son and his spouse who exhibit boundless energy despite the demands of work and family life.

The fast-paced, technology-driven and demanding work environments of today can be draining, and I some time wonder how many adults like my son and his spouse look to their child for the inspiration and motivation required to stay energized and focused at their respective tasks.

During covid pandemic period, both my son and his spouse worked from home. They used to describe how my grandson used to focus and play on for hours without getting tired while they used to find it difficult to maintain their focus and productivity even for a few hours.

Embrace The Inner Child: To Achieve Fulfillment In Life

Now about the likely concerns that come to mind about the energetic grandson.

Health and safety : My grandson being so full of energy, I often worry about his health and safety, especially if he is prone to roughhousing, climbing, or running around.

Discipline : At this tender age, it is very difficult to teach him the consequences of his dangerous activities, the likely risks and the damages. Because, he is yet to learn the meaning of injury, suffering, and healing. And how to avoid the same.

Boredom : When he is required to stay in side home for a long time, his boundless energy prompts him to go out in the open, even in odd hours.

Exposure to risks: He being constantly active and on the move, is always more prone to physical injuries such as cuts, bruises, and sprains. He is also at risk of more serious injuries, such as head injuries, bone fracture etc. if he engages in risky activities like climbing or playing sports without proper supervision. And I have to go on worrying about the same.

Late hour sleeping : He being so much full of energy, he sleeps very late at night, at least 1.00 a.m.

I am always aware of our responsibility to provide him safe and supportive environment. But I am having my own constraints because of my age. And at this stage, I earnestly felt the need to be equally full of energy.

And I know, my readers may also have felt the same need at some stage in life.

Therefore, I started to contemplate on possible remedies to help support my energetic grandson while also achieving higher level of energy overcoming my own physical limitations :

Encourage physical activity: I encouraged my grandson to engage in physical activities that he enjoys, such as games, dance, or play. This helped him burn off energy and develop coordination and motor skills.

Establishing daily routine : Like getting up in the morning, breakfast, going to playgroup, returning therefrom, lunch, afternoon nap ( this was more my own need, I must confess), going out for walk, playing with peer group, maintaining personal hygiene, dinner, prayer and going to bed. This helps him to be engaged and focused at the particular tasks.

Setting up clear rules : This helps him learn to regulate his behavior and develop self-discipline. And of course, he has to apply lot of his energy. (He likes the discipline, no doubt. For example, he insists on me to tie my shoelace properly, when I opt not to do it in view of removing my shoes very shortly.)

Engaging him in creative activity : Like storytelling. For this, I myself prepared a short story for him which was about a small boy like him only. The story ran in around 8 lines which he immediately picked up and started to narrate the same in his own way. Even I was surprised. This also has helped him develop his imagination power.

I also thought about the probable factors that lead to such high energy level of children. And I concluded like the following :

Lack of stress: Children have very few responsibilities and botherations compared to us. Therefore the high energy levels.

Eagerness to learn some thing new : Children are eager to learn some thing new. And for this they have effervescent energy. And they do not bother whether it is worth to learn or not. Or how it is useful for them.

Natural fast metabolism : This helps them fast utilizing of energy. And a very strong and efficient physical system.

Exposure to fresh air and physical activities : Children are more active and get more exposure to fresh air, which help them maintain their energy levels.

Sufficient sound sleep : This helps them to charge their system fully and maintain expression of their high energy level.

Curiosity : Children are always curious about every thing they come across. This drives their energy level up encouraging them to get engaged in exploring activities. Whereas we adults do not bother about the things we are not interested in. For us it is waste of time and energy.

Resilience and adaptability : This helps them bounce back from the ever demanding situations and challenges. This helps to develop ability to apply their energy and move back to normal which in turn helps them to maintain their high energy level.

Being always in the present moment : Children do not think of the past or worry about the future. They enjoy the present moment only.

Being happy : Children are always happy. And they want to express and share their own happiness, especially with their parents and grand parent.

Always find fun and prefer adventure : Children always live with a sense of fun, humor and look for adventure. This can help them maintain high energy levels and stay positive and engaged, even in the face of challenges.

Strong selfless connections : My grandson used to wave at even strangers with a smile. He will wave at the security staff while passing through the main gate, the people passing by in their vehicles, especially those in public transport buses, hawkers, regular shopkeepers and so on. We adults do not do that. We wave hands only for acknowledging the greeting from others. The superiority complex dominates us.

Embrace The Inner Child: To Achieve Fulfillment In Life

Do I have such potentials to learn the above virtues of children ?

The answer was a definite yes.

I found the following ways are effective in achieving the high energy level like children.

Practicing mindfulness : By practicing mindfulness and living in the present moment I could easily reduce my stress and anxiety and thus boosting my energy levels.

Regular exercise and physical activity : This could help me maintain my energy levels and improve overall health and well-being.

Optimum sleep : This is essential for us to maintain our energy levels and optimum sleep ensures recharging of physical and mental systems. Just like we recharge our mobiles.

Connecting with others : Strong emotional connection within family and society provides us strong mental support. Having meaningful relations with others, especially with peers, enables us to increase and maintain strong and effervescent energy level. And ability to get inspired also.

Having creative hobbies : This enables living in the present, achieving immense satisfaction. And of course happiness. And we should not forget expressing happiness and sharing with others leads to fulfillment in life.

Look for joy and humor in life : This leads to reducing stress on mind, avoiding waste of physical and mental energy in tackling the same. We must avoid expressions that may prove our age.

Should we plan our efforts for embracing the inner child to find fulfillment in life only in old age ?

The conclusion was negative. We can better start earlier also. On contemplating the above possibility, I arrived at the following stages.

Young adults (18 to 30 ) :

By concentrating on adopting and developing healthy habits like regular exercise, healthy diet, adequate sleep, watching the body clock, required to maintain their high energy level.

By going through new adventures and exploration, their energy and vitality is tested. This application helps maintain their energy level.

Middle aged ( 30 to 60) :

Maintaining healthy habits becomes difficult due to work strain, family responsibilities and challenges in life. The health becomes major concern. To fulfill the family responsibilities it becomes priority to maintain routine healthy habits  to ensure the high level of energy. 

Work Life balance : This term has become part of corporate policy expressly announced at the time of new recruits.  No doubt, it is very important to find the healthy balance between the work and family life, to guard the required level of energy.

For seniors (60 and above) : 

Stay active : Regular exercises, yog postures, yogic breathing exercises, maintaining healthy mind help them to maintain the energy level required for good health. 

Connect with others :  Strong relations with others is a rich source of support and inspiration for us to maintain high energy levels and stay engaged in positive activities. This is sure promise of effervescent energy.

Being so much energetic like a child, can one be equally energetic to march on the path of attaining fulfillment in life?

The answer is definitely yes.

It is possible for us to be energetic and attain fulfillment in life. For this, we have to adopt some of the qualities and attitudes of energetic children, such as being active, playful, having hobbies, having good relations with others. Of course we have to respect our age. This will enable us to develop, maintain and apply our own energy and vitality in our pursuit of set goals and aspirations in life and achieve fulfillment.

For this we have to keep in our mind the importance of having positive approach and healthy mindset. This application of this mantra helps in being motivated and energetic even in challenging circumstances. 

Why all this exercise is necessary for us ?

I considered this question at length.  And I found that the application of such effervescent energy like children can have a broad application for a strong nation. 

Healthy and energetic children - healthy and energetic adults - healthy and energetic and responsible s-citizens - society -healthy, energetic, responsible and a strong and powerful nation- healthy, energetic, responsible and strong powerful human being.

Therefore, the result of all the above exercises will benefit not only me at individual level but it is going to benefit the family, whole society, the nation,  the whole world and consequently the whole humanity. 

This very revelations inspired me to share the same with you, my dear readers.

In conclusion, 

The boundless and effervescent energy of children is great source of inspiration for us. We can maintain a high level of energy and vitality matching with that of children by -

        -adopting healthy habits

        -engaging in regular physical activities

        -developing positive relationships

        -seizing opportunities for growth and development.

By giving importance to our physical, mental and emotional health, we shall be able to live long and healthy life to the fullest.  This will enable us to make progress on the path of fulfillment in life.

I am sure, this article will be helpful for the readers who want to unleash their inner child or simply want to feel more alive.

I am also sure you will not forget to post your comments.

Thanks.

Next time ..........